Bonaire, Caribbean- BEEN THERE GOT THE T-SHIRT

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Bonaire is a Caribbean island which forms part of the ABC islands. Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao are three islands closely located which are all special municipality’s within the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the western most group of the long arc of Islands, known as the  Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean Sea.

Bonaire lies 50 miles (80 km) north of the Venezuelan coast and 20 miles (32 km) east of Curaçao. The capital is Kralendijk.

The northern part is hilly, with a peak, Brandaris, 787 feet (240 metres) high, while the southern part is flat, with desert like vegetation.

We have cruised into Bonaire on numerous occasions. However they have recently introduced a US$75 per person visitor tax so less cruise ships are stopping at this delightful island. This is perhaps why the tax has been introduced as some Caribbean Islands dislike the influx of thousands of tourists who arrive by cruise ship and spend very little of the much needed foreign exchange, which boosts their economy. They are perhaps trying to encourage the single destination holiday maker who stays in their hotels, eats in their restaurants and gets a greater understanding of the eco-systems they are trying hard to protect.
There is lots to do and see on Bonaire and our trips have included visiting Goto Lake. This used to be a well known area for large flamboyances of flamingo. However every time we have visited there have only been a couple and the main Flamboyance have now made Pink Brine Lake their home. Goto lake is still a charming, picturesque place to visit.

The island grows a lot of cactus. In the centre of Rincon The Cadushy Distillery can be found. It makes a unique Cactus liqueur which has won awards and has created another tourist destination.

During our tour we saw several wild donkeys. These were originally used for labour by the Spanish, who brought them over with them, in the 17th Century. As modern technology took over these animals were no longer required and left to roam wild. there is a Donkey Sanctuary on Bonaire which also attracts tourists.

We have thoroughly enjoyed touring around Bonaire and seeing its many varied sights.

On leaving the Island by Cruise ship you get a great view of the salt pans and the piles of extracted salt. Since the Dutch gained power in the 17th Century, salt has been an important export. The extraction declined at the end of slavery. Today it is once again in full production after the industry was revived by Cargill’s a Canadian company.

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Penang – Malaysia- BEEN THERE GOT THE T-SHIRT.

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Our ship..The Sapphire Princess…cruised into the port on Penang Island. This is an island of Malaysia, (114 square miles/ 295 square kilometres) lying in the Strait of Malacca off the northwest coast of the Malaya peninsular, from which it is separated by a narrow strait whose smallest width is 2.5 miles (4 km). Penang Island is roughly oval in shape.

We were up early because we had a full day of exploring and sightseeing.  Penang might be small, but it has a wealth of history and culture. It is known as the culinary capital of Malaysia. 

We started our day in the UNESCO-listed George Town. It houses Hindu temples, Buddhist pagodas, faded Chinese shop fronts, and crumbling relics of Malaysia’s colonial past, while further afield, you’ll find dense jungle and white-sand beaches in Penang National Park, which is the smallest national park in the world.

Our tour included visiting: Wat Chayamangkalaram Temple, a Buddhist Temple. It is situated on Lorong Burma Road, opposite Dhammikarama Burmese Temple, it is the oldest Siamese temple in the state. The temple features one of the world’s longest reclining Buddha statues as well as several coloured statues and other mythical creatures. The Buddha measures 33 m (108 ft)from end to end. It was incredibly hot and humid in the temple and I have to admit to sitting down in the doorway, catching what ever breeze there was, while John wandered around.

Our next tour stop was the wonderful temple Kek Lok Si.   Situated strategically on a sprawling hill, Kek Lok Si is often called the jewel in the crown of heritage temples in Malaysia, and has been identified as one of the largest and finest temple complexes in Southeast Asia. It is known not only for the beauty of its historic buildings, which attract thousands of tourists every year, but also for being a center for Chinese culture and Buddhist teaching. The scenic view of the hills outside the temple complements the temple’s beautifully designed rooflines which really enhance the facade of the Kek Lok Si Buddhist Monastery.

Our next stop was the Museum….an actual wedding was having their phot-shoot in the museum, what a wonderful occasion for the bride and groom…. Once again after a walk around the heat overtook me and I found myself sitting on a seat enjoying some intellectual conversation with my new found mate !!!!

Feeling a little overwhelmed by not just the heat but also the sheer size and majestic beauty of the temples our tour continues on to Entopia – the Butterfly Sanctuary . It began its journey with David Goh, a young teacher with an interest and passion for butterflies, setting out to establish a tropical butterfly farm as a tourist destination in Penang. In 1986, this self-taught entomologist, founded the tropical world’s first butterfly and insect sanctuary, known as the Penang Butterfly Farm. The sanctuary has more than 15,000 free-flying creatures amid more than 200 species of plants. Entopia doubles as a research and conservation center for butterflies, insects, and their habitats. Both John and I have a passion for butterflies so this was of great interest to us…a truly magnificent Sanctuary. 

Our final visit for the day was too Craft Batik, one of the pioneers of Batik factory’s  on the island. The Batiks produced have became an icon of Malaysia. They produce an array of unique hand-drawn Batik and hand-blockprinted Batik as well as the combination of both, called hand-painted Batik. Motif of flora and fauna are the main subject that have been adopted in the design of hand-drawn Batik, while the hand-blockprinted Batik adopts mostly an abstract design. It was totally fascinating going around the different printing tables and watching how the different styles of printing, hand and block, was done. Then it was, of course, a visit to the shop…it would have been rude not to buy anything….so a couple of purchases were made to take home as gifts for family and friends. 

Penang is certainly a very interesting place to visit. We could quite happily have spent a week there doing the things we did, at a slower pace, and seeing more of the sights. Whilst driving from place to place we caught sight of some gorgeous looking white sand beaches. A really beautiful state of Malaysia. …… Note to self …future holiday destination. 

Monaco – BEEN THERE GOT THE T-SHIRT

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Monaco

It was in my teens when Monaco first fascinated me and it has been on my ‘bucket list’ ever since.
You see I was confused. My stamp album referred to it as the Principality of Monaco, and on asking the question of my father, he informed me ‘A Principality is a country ruled over by a Prince’. That raised a second question in my mind ‘well doesn’t our Queen rule over Wales, which I’ve often heard referred to as a Principality? Never mind, back to Monaco.
Then, in my working life, I was told that this small nation has more millionaires as a percentage of total population than any other country on earth (recently estimated at 30%). There was always a suspicion that this local wealth might be subjected to what we would today probably call money laundering.
Incidentally, if you fancy a little piece of this nation’s real estate, then expect to pay in the region of 50,000 US dollars per square metre (YES!- that’s per square METRE!)
The country has, in fact, a population of just under 40,000. It is the second-smallest state in the world, behind Vatican City, and is also the most densely populated with these residents squeezed into just 2 square kilometres, bordered by France and Italy today. Once a colony of Genoa, Monaco has been ruled over by the Grimaldi family for centuries, with Prince Albert II currently the country’s Sovereign Prince as head of state.

So, fast forward to April 2016 and our Mediterranean cruise ship was booked to call at the French Riviera resort of Cannes. It was a ‘no brainer’ with Monaco just over thirty miles from the port, a day in the Principality was too good to resist. As they said in that 1969 movie it was ‘Monte Carlo or bust!’
Arriving in Monaco, we could see that the preparations were well advanced for the famous Grand Prix event, for which the country takes six weeks to set up and a further three weeks to disassemble.
Our whistle stop tour took us, first, to watch the ‘Changing of the Guard’ at the Prince’s Palace in Palace Square, similar to our own ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

Then it was on to the cathedral of St. Mary the Immaculate, a view of the Marina with surely one of the world’s most impressive collections of super yachts, and a chance to admire the magnificent floral displays in the Principality.

Our final stop was at the Hotel de Paris and the world famous Casino.

We resisted a flutter and soon came back down to earth and met up with our coach to take us back to Cannes and our cruise ship. But we had, for just a few hours, stepped into a different world.

Denali Nation Park, Alaska- BEEN THERE GOT THE T-SHIRT

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Denali is the highest peak, 20,310 feet high,  in North America. It is situated in the central area of Alaska 237 miles north of Anchorage, and 120 miles south of Fairbanks. Mount Denali has a north and south summit. They were both snow-capped at the time of our last visit. However climate change has altered this and suggests that the view we had is unlikely to be repeated.

It is also the name of the National Park. Denali National Park is 6 million acres(24,000sq Km) of wild land, with one winding road. We call it the road to nowhere!!

We have been fortunate to visit it several times. On arriving in the town, the first time, we went to a show which was not only very well acted but also very informative.

We decided to do a full day trip into the park. Half day trips transverse the lowest elevations which is mostly forestry areas for approximately 15 mi (24 km) of the road. These lower elevations are covered in trees and contribute to the fact that in Alaska there are at least 40,000 trees for each Alaskan resident. Through our experience we have learnt that this lower elevation area doesn’t attract as much wild life as you can see deeper into the National Park. We have seen occasional Moose, Caribou and Grizzly Bears this low.

A full days tour in a school  bus, goes deeper into the park on to the tundra of the middle elevations. Several portions of the road run alongside sheer cliffs that drop hundreds of feet at the edges. There are no crash barriers. As a result of the danger involved, and because most of the gravel road is only one lane wide, drivers have to  be trained in procedures for navigating the sharp mountain curves and yielding the right of way to wild life,  opposing buses and park vehicles. On one occasion we got in a traffic queue with a slow moving Caribou who walked down the middle of the road for several kilometres with our bus trundling along behind it.

This park road runs north of and roughly parallel to the imposing Alaska Range. Only the start  of the road is paved because both permafrost and the freeze-thaw annual cycle would create a very expensive maintenance programme for a paved road.

Denali National park was formally known as Mount McKinley National Park. The name was subject to local criticism, as the mountain was originally named after a newly elected US president in 1897 and the park was named Mount McKinley National Park when it was created in 1917. The local Alaskan people wanted it called Denali because it means  “the great one” or “the high one,” Denali plays a central role in the creation myth of the Koyukon Athabascans, a Native Alaskan group that has lived in the region for centuries. For many years the local people tried to get the name changed. Much to most peoples delight  on August 30, 2015 President Barak Obama directed the Secretary of the Interior to rename the mountain Denali. The higher elevations of the park are covered with snow, glaciers and bare rock. In the winter people dog-sledge, cross-country ski and snowmobile in the park which is home to numerous wildlife including grizzly bears, wolves, foxes, moose and Caribou.

The top of Mount Denali is often shrouded in cloud, we have, however, been fortunate to see it on a couple of occasions on beautiful clear days.

Gotland, Sweden – BEEN THERE GOT THE T-SHIRT

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Gotland is a large Swedish island and province in the Baltic Sea. It is located about 90 km / 56 miles east of the Swedish mainland and about 130 km/81miles from Latvia. 

On arriving at the cruise port we disembarked and decided to walk into the main town. As luck would have it a hop-on-hop-off bus arrived and was touting for business. We negotiagated a good rate and climbed up on to the upper deck. It’s usual price is approx £35 per person.

The bus took us along the coast to a holiday village which looked very nice. After which we went quite away along a quiet road looking at the flora and fauna. This is an eco/ green island…known as little paradise.

We turned around and came back along the outer side of the walled city of Visby
Visby, is the biggest town on Gotland it is distinguished by its cobblestone streets and well-preserved medieval city wall, (‘ringmuren’).

We disembarked the HOHO bus and entered the walled city of Visby via one of the arches in the wall

Visby is also home to the grand, centuries-old St. Mary’s Cathedral, built at the end of the 12th century.

Visby also has many medieval churches around which include St. Nicolai and St. Karin. Nearby, Gotlands Museum traces the island’s natural and cultural history with art and artifacts.

We wandered around the cobbled streets which make you feel as if you’ve been transported to medieval times. The quaintness of the residential streets of Visby, with their idyllic cottages, contribute to the town’s unique charm.

Finally we wound our way back towards the HOHO bus, stopping to eat a tub of ice cream before being transported back to the ship. A lovely place to spend a day.